P.O.W.

Annotation — P.O.W. / M.I.A. Songs

The song "P.O.W." (Glolite Records # GL 102) by the country artist Charlie Bee & Cockleburs, out of Memphis, Tennessee, presented the perspective of a soldier "in North Vietnam" in a "prisoner of war camp". The soldier described to his parents the difficult conditions, with no shoes in his cold feet and being treated roughly. He called on America to "wake up" and for the president to bring home the P.O.W.s. He also described how he had to bury his friend, and how this would impact on his wife and baby boy. At the end of the song, the soldier said "it's good to know someone cares". Written by Thurman Pruitt. Produced by Bill Glore and Lewis Willis - Glore actually founded this record label. He later purchased the famous American Sound Studios.1 Probably released in the early 1970s. Sources1Memphis Boys: The Story of American Studios (Roben Jones, 2010)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — US Combat Perspective Songs

The song "P.O.W." (Glolite Records # GL 102) by the country artist Charlie Bee & Cockleburs, out of Memphis, Tennessee, presented the perspective of a soldier "in North Vietnam" in a "prisoner of war camp". The soldier described to his parents the difficult conditions, with no shoes in his cold feet and being treated roughly. He called on America to "wake up" and for the president to bring home the P.O.W.s. He also described how he had to bury his friend, and how this would impact on his wife and baby boy. At the end of the song, the soldier said "it's good to know someone cares". Written by Thurman Pruitt. Produced by Bill Glore and Lewis Willis - Glore actually founded this record label. He later purchased the famous American Sound Studios.1 Probably released in the early 1970s.Sources1Memphis Boys: The Story of American Studios (Roben Jones, 2010)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: We're over in North Vietnam, in this prisoner of war camp / They give us rice and fish to eat, we have no shoes for our cold feet / Please North Vietnamese, won't you hear our pleas / Won't you set us free / Mama, I'm singing this song for you / Wish you and dad were near, it gets mighty rough over here / They don't treat us very well, won't you make America wake up... / Please Mr. President help us get back home / Mama, they buried my buddy today, and I don't know what I'll say to his wife and their baby boy / I know you and dad are praying for me / I can feel your prayers... / And mama, it's good to know someone cares

Notes

Glolite Records GL 102 A (8888), 760 Los Angeles, Memphis, Tennessee 38112; "P.O.W." (Thurman Pruitt), 2:49, Glolite Publ. Co. and Cocklebur Music Co., BMI; produced by Bill Glore & Lewis Willis. [From the record sleeve and labels]

Themes

P.O.W. · Soldier's Perspective · Protest

In collections

P.O.W. / M.I.A. Songs · US Combat Perspective Songs [War Years]